thoughts from the journey...

Impact All-Staff Conference Recap

2012-01-10T17:04:00.001-05:00

Impact Campus Ministries All-Staff Conference

There is nothing more humbling to me than God inviting his people to be a part of the work He is doing. I am grateful beyond words to be part of a ministry organization whose number one priority is to pursue Christ and and allow Him to move through us. I thought you might enjoy meeting the amazing people I get to serve with at Impact. Marty Solomon, a campus minister on our University of Idaho and Washington State University team, made this video introducing our staff to his supporters.

Every year our conference is crammed full of prayer, planning, dreaming and training. We love it! We also love to take advantage of breaks and downtown to do some crazy fun things, such as this random video from Brett Ricley, a recruit for our University of Utah team.

Sunday we took a break for a few hours to check out the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Here are a few pictures from our tour.

Tom, Sarah and Lowell - South Bend Team

Lowell was excited to see one of our campus tribes.

The South Florida Bend fantasy football team was not pleased with Austin's season but we smiled for a photo anyway

One more picture just for fun. We wondered if this picture would help get Apple to support us.

"How thankful I am to Christ Jesus our Lord for considering me trustworthy and appointing me to serve him…" 1 Timothy 1:12

All-Staff 2012

2012-01-06T21:24:00.001-05:00

Jonnie, Jennifer and Laura

The first day of our 2012 Impact Campus Ministries All-Staff Conference is almost complete. We are in the middle of our last session of the day, which I've titled Technology Night. We are learning all about about E-tapestry, blogging, social media sites and how to use them all to effectively communicate with supporters. It is some pretty fun stuff!

I have never worked with a group of people who love the Lord as much as this staff does. Our theme for this year's conference is Stretch. We are asking God to stretch how we view things...our ministry, ourselves, our teams, our students, our families, our world, etc. We are asking God to stretch us and continue to shape us into a people who reflect His glory.

I'm super excited to see what God has in store for us this year. I absolutely love this staff. They stretch me. They challenge me to lean in further and follow Christ with all that I am. I am grateful that God has allowed me to be a part of His work through Impact.

If you haven't had a chance, you should check out our new website!

In the Woods with God

2011-11-02T21:16:00.000-04:00

If you follow me on twitter, you know how much I love to spend a beautiful day in the woods. While I was hiking today I thought, "I wish others could experience what I experience here. Life just seems to make much more sense here."

I'm not sure what it is about the woods that calms my spirit and fills me with peace more than any other space. Perhaps it is because there are few words needed so I'm quiet for once. Now, my mind is still racing a thousands miles per hour, but my mouth is shut. Even though it is common for me to talk to myself and think out loud, in the woods, words seem inadequate and unnecessary. And that's probably the reason why my spirit is so calm here. I can't interrupt God when I'm silent. I can spend hours just walking through the trees or sitting on the forest bed. God's presence is tangible there.

We all need a sacred space like this, a place where we can tune our hearts and ears into God's voice. Where is that space for you? The woods? A quiet river? A coffee shop? A favorite corner in your house? Find it and make it a point to go there regularly. You won't regret it!

Student Leader Retreat Stories - David Joe Hatter

2011-10-02T12:26:00.001-04:00

David Joe and Bev Hatter served as our amazing hosts for our Student Leader Retreat. Here are some of David Joe's thoughts from the weekend.

The ancients said there were only four elements--Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The Greek physicians said there were four "humors," or basic personality types--Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholy, and Phlegmatic. The four student leaders we had the privilege to host--Dylan, Josh, Lindsay, and Naomi--are in many ways as varied as you can imagine. Some are task-oriented, some are touch-oriented. Some are more extroverted, some are more introverted. Some are product-oriented, some are process-oriented. Some are oriented toward the group, some are oriented toward the individuals. That's a good thing. The campuses on which and from which they serve, the situations they will face, the environments in which they live, the individuals & groups with which they will work, and the tasks they will perform will be as varied as one can imagine. God has shaped each of them individually--as well as the campus ministry team as a whole--to do His tasks in an ever-changing place. Therefore, God will, in His own time & way, continue to shape and reshape them for the tasks at hand and the tasks ahead. The church--that is, the body of disciples--is not a reservoir, but rather a river; and a river is constantly being reshaped and redirected.

Student ministry--and student leadership--is not just ministry to students; it is also ministry by & through students. And, campus ministry is not just ministry on campus; it is also ministry off campus to the wider community. It is exciting to watch student leaders get excited about the possibilities of partnerships with other community-service groups.

One more thing: From where I'm sitting, the ISB staff (Lowell & Katie, Sarah, Tom & Jill) have had a very long summer and a very long two years or so. They are starting the school year exhausted. Pray for them. Do whatever you can for them. Maybe God wants you to be the answer to their prayers.

Student Leader Retreat Stories - Jon Hatter

2011-10-01T14:23:00.005-04:00

Jon Hatter is a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame. We invited him to join us for our Student Leaders Retreat. Here are his reflections from the weekend.

This weekend I had the opportunity to join a group of people from Impact Campus Ministries of South Bend on their student leader retreat. It was a great time and I began several relationships that I am excited to continue as our time in South Bend carries on. More than that, I got the chance to spend some time thinking about the meaning of Discipleship. And, since I have some time this evening to do it, I thought I would share some of the thoughts I had with you.

It is often the case that we opt for the simplest possible definition of “disciple,” – a follower of Christ. Now, there’s nothing wrong with simplicity and I think that this definition has its merits, but as I was reading some of the scriptures that we looked at this weekend, I was struck by something. There are plenty of people in the New Testament who literally, physically follow Christ who are not disciples. They are just “the crowd,” the folks who swarm around Jesus because what’s he’s doing is new, exciting, and novel. They’re the rich young ruler’s of the Bible, who approach Jesus because of what he can do for them, and run away when he asks them to do something for him.

This realization begs the questions, “Then what is a disciple? What more is required?” The story of the rich young ruler actually answers part of that, and I may come back to that, but I’d rather start with the calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John. This story, told in Matthew 4 and Mark 1 (also in Luke 5 in a slightly different way) tells us that these fisherman “forsake” their nets and their boats (and even their own father, in the case of James and John) and follow Christ. It is this “forsaking” that sets them apart from the rich young ruler and, on that same note, from the others who simply “follow” Jesus to see what he’ll do next. It is this sacrificial commitment that marks the true disciples of Christ in the gospel accounts.

So, being a disciple is not simply about following Jesus. It is about following Jesus ALONE, that is to say, following Jesus to the exclusion of all others. You cannot pursue Jesus and pursue your career. You cannot pursue Jesus and pursue your own happiness. You cannot, as Jesus tells us elsewhere, serve two masters. To simply know of Jesus, to know the scriptures, to know the correct God-Bible-Jesus answers to the questions of life, is not sufficient. True discipleship is marked by a love of God that encompasses the whole of your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Coming back to the rich young ruler. It seems that he was a disciple in the way we like to think about discipleship in Church today. It appears that he knew the commandments of God. He was confident enough that he had kept these commandments. He even acknowledges Jesus as the “Good Teacher.” In a modern congregation, he might be a Sunday School teacher or a deacon. He might be an usher, a custodial volunteer, or even a Pastor. He seems to know the Bible answers (at least the palatable ones), but, as Jesus says, he lacks one thing – sacrifice.

There comes a time, it seems, in the life of every disciple when he or she has to make a choice between what American’s like to call “the Pursuit of Happiness” (probably better called “the Pursuit of Self”) and the pursuit of Christ. Those who chose self are missing the point. Those who chose Christ, with all the blessings and troubles that decision brings with it, are disciples.

Student Leader Retreat Stories - Josh Oliver

2011-09-30T14:20:00.008-04:00

Josh Oliver a student leader at Southwestern Michigan College shares about his experience on our Student Leaders Retreat.

As I reflect on the time we spent together I have made these observations. Not only about myself but the group as a whole.

We all have our own unique shape. That shape defines who we are as a person. That shape also plays a huge role when it comes to being a member of a team.

I learned that society can't define your shape for you. You have to be the one that does that. We have to be the person God made us to be and we can't let others tell us any different. We have to be able to stand up and step out in faith to show the world who we are and whose we are. We are children of God. I also learned that I have more to offer than I originally thought.

Don't be afraid to share your shape with others. Your shape is always changing with each new day.

Student Leader Retreat Stories - Lindsay Sherburn

2011-09-29T13:00:00.008-04:00

Lindsay Sherburn a student leader at Bethel College shares about her experience on our Student Leaders Retreat.

I've always been someone who's fairly self-aware. Because of my introverted nature, I take more time to consider my surroundings and observe the world around me. I've always been able to identify my own strengths and weaknesses and the way my personality functions. None of this really seemed to matter too much until our weekend in Kentucky.

We were asked to focus on our shapes - the way we are wired - in order to figure out how we can use our individuality to serve God. While thinking about this, God has really been pushing me to embrace that individuality, those traits that make me Lindsay Sherburn and no one else. This idea was not new for me but I think I needed some reminding. He created me, an original masterpiece, for a special purpose. The only response I can possibly have is to fulfill it.

Student Leader Retreat Stories - Dylan Lemert

2011-09-28T16:13:00.002-04:00

Dylan Lemert a student leader at Indiana University-South Bend shares about his experience on our Student Leaders Retreat.

I'll admit, all I really wanted from this retreat at first was to get away from home for a few days and hang out with some great people. Maybe also have God show up in bits and pieces along the way, so I could come home having felt "in greater touch with my spiritual side". But God was with us from day one, the Invisible Passenger sitting beside us as we traveled in that old red church van. I could see His face in the stars at night as we praised Him with our meager voices. Instead of a relaxing weekend, I encountered a weekend full of the breaking, chiseling, molding, and repairing of my ego and character. God's hands must've been tired when He was finished because it's hard work trying to change a soul as stubborn as mine.

I thank God for the staff, interns, and fellow student leaders who were as patient with me as God was. As tired physically as I was by trip's end, I came home refreshed and eager. My prayer is that this Impact student leaders retreat may simply act as a catalyst for much, much greater things to come. Our campuses will see God and I think the time for that is very soon.

Student Leader Retreat 2011

2011-09-27T18:09:00.000-04:00

How does time seem to pass so quickly? We are already several weeks into the school year and it seems like it was just a few weeks ago I was packing up the car to head to camp. One of the ways our Impact South Bend team kicked off the school year was to take our student leaders on a retreat in Kentucky. One of our goals for the weekend was to help our student leaders discover more about how God has uniquely wired them and how that influences the way they can do ministry on their campus.

We asked our student leaders, our host, and other guests to record some of their experiences and thoughts from the weekend. Over the course of the next several days, I want to share their stories with you. I’m sure you will be encouraged and challenged as you read their words.

Stay tuned!

Lessons from Juggling

2011-07-27T20:04:00.001-04:00

Over the course of this year, I’ve been praying that the Lord would refine me. While talking with God this past spring, this image of a person juggling beanbags came to mind. There is a split second when all the beanbags are suspended in the air and the juggler stands with his hand open, ready and waiting. In that very brief moment, the juggler has to completely rely on the laws of physics to carry out the task. At the same time, the juggler must do his part to make sure his hands are in the right position to catch the beanbag and toss it in the right direction at the correct height.

That split second of time is where I want to live my life 24-7. I want to do my part, to be responsible with the ministry I’ve been given, to be obedient to do what God has called me to do and to strive to do it with excellence. And while doing that, I don’t want to hold onto anything but to have it surrendered to God, completely relying on Him and trusting Him in the process. For a control freak like me, this can be a huge challenge but God has given me plenty of opportunities to put this into practice.

Most of you know me well enough to know that I don’t handle the unexpected or new things very well at all. As I look back on the first half of the year, 2011 has been one new experience or unexpected change after another: new apartment, new adventures, new relationships, new experiences, new responsibilities, and the list keeps going. Some of you are laughing because you know I’m getting anxious just typing that list. However, in the midst of it all, God has proven his faithfulness and is teaching me to trust in several new ways.

Philippians 4, specifically verses 6-7, has been a key passage on this journey of God refining me.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Don’t worry. Trust me. Rest in my peace. These are the things I hear God telling me over and over again each day. It has been an exciting journey and I know there are many great adventures yet to come!

Time is Valuable

2011-04-06T23:51:00.004-04:00

Over the last several weeks the hours in the day seemed to be passing too quickly. Time spent with others seemed to be rushed in order to make it to the next appointment or meeting. I don't like that feeling. I hate to feel like I have to watch the clock when I'm with other people. I knew it was time to slow down.

When a friend heard I had cleared my schedule for two days to take a break, they decided to give me the perfect gift...their time. I'm an extrovert and sitting on my couch staring at the wall is by no means relaxing to me. So this friend planned an entire afternoon to hang out and do things I love to do. Nothing fancy or elaborate just time together.

To me time is one of the most valuable things I have. When I give someone even a few minutes of my time, it means something significant to me. To me it is a way to show that I care about and value you. So for someone to give me an entire afternoon, that speaks volumes to me.

It is obvious to me I needed to be reminded to be cautious of how I spend my time. I know I tend to squeeze as much life as possible out of every minute. But this week I was reminded of just how valuable time is and that sometimes the best thing you can do with it is just be.

I discovered I posted about this same topic just over a year ago. Interesting.

Spring Retreat Reflections

2011-04-01T16:46:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago 13 Impact students and Lowell piled in a van and I piled into my car full of luggage and we drove to Kings Mountain, KY for our annual Spring Retreat. We had an incredible time enjoying the beauty of God's creation and learning about what it looks like to remove our masks and live our lives completely surrendered to God.

I've waited so long to post about the retreat because I've been trying to process the experience myself. To sum up the entire experience I think it is best to say we all found ourselves being very honest about how God created us and how we view ourselves. I really enjoyed watching students start to embrace different personality traits that they may have originally thought were negative qualities. I'm even more excited to see students discover how God uses the unique ways he has created them to reach out to others.

There are so many other wonderful stories about what happened at that weekend. Watching students worship in a different church setting then they are use to and completely loving it. Exploring creeks, waterfalls and woods, climbing rocks and seeing students conquer fears in the process. Taking steps towards Christ with students. And one of my personal favorites sitting with a student as he decides to accept Christ and surrender his entire life our God.

It was a great trip and a beautiful encounter with our Creator!

Bethel Updates

2011-03-31T18:08:00.002-04:00

It has been several weeks since I shared about Bethel's chapel service that lasted several hours and I thought I would share with you what is happening on campus now.

In my opinion one of the greatest things that has happened because of this experience is the number of discipleship groups that have formed. My understanding is most of these groups are being lead by faculty and staff members. I've had conversations with several students who are involved in these groups and loving the growth that is coming from it. Last week I spoke with a student that is participating in a group that starts at 7 AM. Ask any college student and they will tell you that is really early. While this student constantly tells me she hates the early hour she also explains how much she has appreciated the authenticity of the group experience.

Another common conversation I've had with students reality of the spiritual warfare that happens around them that they were unaware of previously. A student shared with me this week that they had no clue how much opposition they would face when they decided to start pursuing Christ in every area of their lives. This has lead to some incredible conversations among students and it has been fun to watch them pull together to support each other.

Continue to pray for Bethel. The semester is winding down, which means crazy schedules and a temptation to push aside the commitments and steps that were set up several weeks ago.

Impact South Bend Update

2011-03-31T12:58:00.000-04:00

Check out Impact Campus Ministries, South Bend latest newsletter HERE!

Owning our Faith - TJ's Story

2011-03-01T12:17:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share one last story with you from one of the Impact students from Indiana University, South Bend (IUSB). As students from Bethel have shared their stories, our students from other campuses have expressed their desire for God to transform their campuses as well. Tj Dalenberg is a freshman at IUSB and these are some thoughts he wanted to share with you.

This thing (revival?) that's been happening on Bethel's campus is awesome. My girlfriend attends Bethel and it's amazing to hear the accounts. It is inspiring. It makes me feel like it is going to spread easily to IUSB, where I attend.

It's empowering to think that God has been preparing all of us for this moment and we finally realized it. He knows what He's doing. :) I am encouraged, inspired, and ready to take this thing on and bring it to IUSB's campus! It can start with one person, that's the great thing about it. If just one person stands up and grabs this bull by its horns, we can change the area, country, and world! It's just awesome how God works.

This change that has been happening on Bethel's campus has impacted me in a few ways. I've been learning to let God have what is already His, for instance the people in my life. I hold them so closely and dearly, but forget to remember that they aren't mine. As (the professor that spoke Wednesday February 23rd) said, 'the people on this earth are ours to enjoy only for a time. Then hopefully we will be reunited in heaven!'

Also, there is one more thing I have been realizing. See, I grew up in a Christian home, I went to church every Sunday since I can remember, and went to a Christian High school for 10 years. So, at times I felt like concepts and ideas were being forced upon me. I had never really made my faith MY own. Ive been realizing that I need to do that more.

Also, the concept of God's unconditional love has recently HIT me. It's something that has been so common to me that I have never sat down and thought about it. I was listening to the JJ Heller song, "What love really means" and it struck me. God loves me for ME. not for what i have done in the past, or what I will do in the future. He loves me for what I am, imperfect.

Anyways, this change on Bethel has just been a whirlwind of change in my life. I am excited, inspired, and encouraged.

Lukewarm Christianity - Tyler's Story

2011-02-28T11:07:00.000-05:00

Last week I had the privilege to sit and chat with Tyler, a freshman at Bethel. Tyler came to campus knowing that God had provided this opportunity for him to get a great education and play soccer. Adjusting to life as a Bethel student has been a little more challenging than Tyler realized it would be. At times he has felt trapped and if following Christ had to look a very specific way.

Like many students, Tyler went to chapel last thinking it was just another chapel service. As the speaker because to share Tyler was immediately drawn to the speakers authenticity. Tyler could relate to several aspects of the speakers journey and greatly appreciated the transparency the speaker was showing the student body.

Tyler shared with me that one of the greatest things he took away from that chapel was the importance of getting out of the way and allowing space for the Spirit to move. For him personally he was reminded of the importance of daily living sold out for Christ. God had reminded that Tyler that He is not pleased with a lukewarm commitment. God has begun to reveal to Tyler the areas of his life where he has been lukewarm and what God could do if Tyler lived his life on fire for Christ.

They are great questions for all of us to think about. What have I not surrendered to God? How do I need to get out of God's way? How might God want to move through me?

Unity - Nikki's Story

2011-02-25T14:55:00.000-05:00

Nikki Barr is a freshman education major at Bethel College. This is a reflection paper she wrote for a class assignment after last Wednesday chapel service.

This past Wednesday was an experience that I have thought I had experienced before but then discovered that what happened on our campus was far deeper than a night at summer camp. When I was a sophomore in high school I went to a Bible camp in Michiana and every night at we would have worship that lasted for thirty to forty minutes. During these times I would see people raising their hands and closing their eyes but I didn’t understand why they felt drawn to making those kinds of movements. As the week continued, started to talk about what night “the night” was going to be; the night that everyone would break into tears. Well “the night” ended up being Thursday when people literally just broke down…visually. Everyone I saw had a tear stained face and was on their knees with their hands raised or in a corner praying with friends or mentors. My peers were verbally crying out to God in repentance, thanksgiving, and regret; I too was a part of this; it was the first time I saw Jesus as more than just a man as a key character in a book and that was the night I dedicated my life to live for Jesus Christ.

Now comparing that night at summer camp with chapel on Wednesday I would say the summer camp “revival” was one that brought me and my peers from a previous life and choices, but I see Bethel’s “revival” as one that is leading us to a new standard. What happen on Wednesday is so much more than what could have happened at a summer camp. We drew together as a community and because we live together, study together, eat together, and worship God together we have the privilege to grow together in our relationships with our Lord Jesus Christ. During a summer camp we are with our peers for a week and then it’s back to life and learning how to live in a new way on our own. We live at summer camp and we do have to say goodbye for months at a time, this gives us the opportunity to really learn what it is to confess and be open with each other. On Wednesday, people got up on stage in chapel and confessed, thanked, and prayed and we now have the opportunity and the obligation to be accountability partners for each other campus wide. Because of what happened we need to draw together in such community that this campus has never seen before; it is up to us to transform Bethel and our community and each other for this is what being a part of the body of Christ is about: striping ourselves of pride and pursuing God with reckless abandonment. Now is the time God has chosen to open people’s eyes to him we must not let this impact simply die down or fizzle out, now is the time to feed the fire and have it grow to the point of rapturing any of whom walks onto Bethel’s campus!

Hearing From God - Lindsay's Story

2011-02-24T17:29:00.001-05:00

Lindsay Sherburn is a sophomore liberal studies major at Bethel. This is her story of how God spoke to her at chapel last week.

Looking back on what happened last week, I am still so amazed at the way God worked that day. I very clearly recall sitting in chapel as if it were any other day; I was a bit tired, chatted some with my friend next to me and merely thought the speaker was another guy with a really cool story. It all felt so ordinary. And I think that's why it was so beautiful. Sometimes - for me, a lot of the time - I put God in a box. I think I know how He is going to work and when. Last week, He reminded me that He is God. He is the Author of Surprises. As I finally, even reluctantly, made my way to the altar, I had no intention of really hearing His voice or feeling His presence so clearly. But God, of course, had other plans.

That day, God woke me up. I had been 'asleep' for a few weeks, waiting for Him to respond. In reality, He was waiting for me. He showed me the walls I had been putting between us. I have been dealing with seasonal depression and was using that as an excuse to not have to work at our relationship. I had also been putting my concern about my relationships as a priority in my life and not giving Him control. Well, He finally realized that the best option to get me to listen was to hit me over the head. And that's what He did. Since that day, He has been showing me His love in so many ways. Or rather, I am finally seeing Him move. It has been great watching those around me see and witness Him as well. As we all continue to process what happened and to make changes in our lives, I pray that first and foremost, We see Him. Every moment of every day.

Responding to God - Rachel's Story

2011-02-23T20:39:00.003-05:00

Rachel Wilkins is a senior music education major at Bethel. She also serves as at student leader with Impact Campus Ministries. These are her thoughts on the last week on Bethel's campus.

Well its been a week since the Holy Spirit moved in a huge way on Bethel's campus. It has been interesting to take a step back and observe the others around me to see what God is doing with their hearts. So many people came forward last Wednesday and shared pieces of their lives that truly inspired those around them. From this there have people realizing the sin in their own life and wanting to give it to God and just be free of the bondage. However it is at this point that Satan tries to find a little hole and dig down deep in our hearts and find any foothold possible. This is where the true challenge come.

God swept over us in a massive wave of love and now it is our responsibility to allow Him to do His work. We have to truly rely on God and His power to get us through the attacks of Satan. I sincerely believe that Satan is shaking in his boots because this generation is ready to make a difference and with God strong in our hearts some crazy stuff is about to happen. Please pray that we hold on strong and allow God to take charge and that we are willing to be vessels of all He has planned to do!

Experiencing God - Becki's Story

2011-02-22T14:34:00.002-05:00

Becki Visker is a senior music major at Bethel College. This is her story about how God spoke to her during last Wednesday's chapel service.

During the revival I experienced the different voices of God and the different ways He moves. Through some alone time God revealed to me that I am going to India, and He gave me a lot of peace of future decisions that needed to be made.

He also moved with a lot of the women on campus. A lot of girls got up in front of their fellow students and confessed to struggling with sexual desires and masturbation. So out of that myself, and some other girls are getting a discipleship group going on lust free living.

God also just broke me towards the end. The whole time I had been so on task and almost quenching what God wanted to say to me. So I went down to the alter, and I just felt God's love pour over me. So here we are, 6 days later.

There has not been a day where this campus hasn't been covered in prayer, and the student body has been stepping up to keep this revival going and actually doing something with what God blessed us with. I'm so pumped to be a part of this, and that God has been working in our campus.

God's Moving at Bethel! - Update

2011-02-22T14:10:00.001-05:00

Bethel has posted an update on the Bethel Magazine website. It includes a video message from senior vice president, Dr. Dennis Engbrecht. Check it out here.

Dr. Engbrecht talks about the trail of prayers that lead up to Wednesday's chapel. Yesterday I shared about some of my experiences of praying for Bethel. I know earlier this school year Master's Men, a group of men from local churches, had gathered on campus to pray. I've heard stories from other alumni who were prompted to pray through out the week for Bethel.

We can't underestimate the power of prayer.

God's Moving at Bethel!

2011-02-21T14:26:00.002-05:00

One of my first impressions of Bethel College was the incredible sense of God's presence. I remember an admissions counselor sharing the story of a revival that happened in the early 90s and how that had a lasting impact on the campus. As a student, it seemed the longer I was at Bethel the more we felt the need for God to bring revival again. So we prayed.

In July of 2009, I was invited to join a group of people who were gathering with Impact Campus Ministries on all of the local campuses in the South Bend area to pray and seek what God may be doing on these campuses. While we were at Bethel, something about campus seemed different. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but there was a sense of unrest that began to settle in me. That prayer journey lead me to join Impact's staff and last spring we gathered again on all of the campuses to pray and seek God. During our time at Bethel we were joined by faculty, staff and students and the first thing they asked us to pray for was revival.

I write all of that to share that many people have been praying for many years that God would pour out his Spirit and that the Bethel community would be revived. God is answering that prayer in a powerful way. Last Wednesday the normal 50 minute chapel service turned into over 7 1/2 hours of confession, testimonies, healing, reconciliation and the Spirit consuming students, faculty and staff. That has been followed by student-led prayer and worship gatherings all across campus. You can read a statement from senior vice-president, Dr. Dennis Engbrecht here.

The following night we met with our Impact Bethel group and heard their stories. Students shared about being freed from sins, experiencing joy in new ways, calls to ministry being confirmed, renewed commitments to following Christ and the list goes on and on. We ended our night thanking God and praying that we would continue to respond to what God is doing.

For me personally it was a very moving experience to sit and listen to the stories knowing that God was answering a prayer I (and several others) had been praying for years. It was a reminder of how perfect His timing and plan is. It was awesome to see our students take huge steps and continue to define the next steps they need to take. God is constantly shaping our story and it is one that needs to be shared.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing some of those stories. Please be praying for Bethel's campus as they continue to respond to the Spirit. Our Impact staff would also appreciate your prayers as we continue to mentor and disciple students.

Also I encourage you to check out the posts and links Benson Hines has shared on his blog and Bethel's Facebook page for updates of what is happening on campus.

Embracing the Adventure

2011-02-02T13:50:00.005-05:00

I’ve always enjoyed a good adventure. The type of adventure when you grab your camera, some water and head to a county or state park to explore the woods. I rarely stay on the trails but I always know where the trail is. Or if I’m feeling really adventurous I’ll try something new at a restaurant I’ve been to a hundred times. I’m a huge risk taker, aren’t I?!

As much as I like to play things safe, it seems life has been one crazy situation after another. Some would call them struggles, obstacles, trials or just plain insanity. I chose to call them adventures…grand adventures. I’ve begun to learn the value of embracing the adventure instead of despising the pain. James sums it up so well.

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. James 1:2-4

When I decide to welcome the challenges as "opportunities for joy," I discover I learn a whole lot more than when I try to fight against the difficulties. This doesn’t necessarily make the learning process easier, but it reminds me the growing pains are worth it.

I still have much to so learn, which means the adventures are far from over. I’m okay with that. These adventures are part of my story. They draw me closer to Abba. I could probably write a separate post on that and what I’ve learned, but knowing me, I wouldn’t count on it!

Find a way to embrace the adventure friends. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

30 Day Bible Challenge: Luke

2010-11-10T17:01:00.003-05:00

Yes. Yes. I know that I'm a three days past the 30 day mark and finished reading it a week ago but this is the first chance I've had to write. So here we go.

Luke is like a good friend to me, mostly to the year I spent studying and memorizing for Bible Bowl. We've had our fair share of fights and several good laughs. I think the best way to describe this recent read is like taking a walk down memory lane. I constantly felt God was saying, "Hey Sarah, remember this?" over and over again.

I was reminded of the power of God. I was reminded of faithfulness of Christ. I was reminded of the challenge that comes with surrendering everything. More than anything, I was reminded of the passionate pursuit God has towards his people.

Why is it so easy for me to forget that no matter how much I long to grow closer to Christ, God desires it a billion trillion times more than I do? That is what I've been reminding myself on the hard days the last couple weeks. It helps.

I'm not sure I'll continue to blog about the next 30 days of finishing the NT. We'll see.

My buddy Chester

2010-11-03T17:24:00.018-04:00

June 2007

This is my buddy Chester Throop. This morning his time on earth came to an end. Unfortunately I won't be able to return for the funeral but had been asked to share some things for a memorial video. I've wrestled all day with how to communicate all of Chet's awesomeness and impact in one little post. I guess the best I can do is try.

I'm not even sure where to begin. I could share about the world's longest lecture about pushing in my chair or him insisting on calling my parents by MY full name. I could share about how he would roll his eyes and call me crazy every time I tried to say something funny. I could share about how he would sit in the back row at church waving his hands as if he was directing a choir or the time he walked on stage during worship at VBS to help me lead.

There are so many stories I could tell most of which would make you laugh. Chet was a funny guy! However I think I would rather share about things Chester taught me.

Chet taught me the importance of laughing. It wasn't always easy to make Chet laugh but when you did, you would laugh together forever.
Chet taught me the value of consistency. I was late to one our famous monthly pizza parties for some school event and my sisters said he sat and said nothing until I got there. Evidently he thought I forgot and he had been waiting for it all day.
Chet taught me the power of a name. For the most part Chet would call me Sarah unless he was mad at me then it was Sarah Koutz but he always called my parents, especially my mom, Sarah Koutz. It might not make sense to anyone else but hearing him call my mom by my name spoke volumes to me about how he viewed me.
Chet taught me about fighting hard. The poor guy spend lots of time with doctors and in the hospital. Even when he had to walk with a cane for a while, it didn't stop him from doing anything including sneaking away to vacuum the auditorium during one of those pizza parties.
Chet taught me patience. Chet could be stubborn especially it involved doing work at school. When he made up his mind, it was hard to change it.
Chet taught me about joy. Chet had a joy like very few people. Even when he wasn't feeling well, he would find a way to do something silly and make me laugh.
Chet taught me about legacy. This week and in years to come people will share stories like mine of how Chester had a powerful influence on their lives. He has left a legacy that encourages you to be a better you. His legacy challenges me to do what I can to leave a similar legacy.

I could go on but it would take hours to read if I did. I have always cherished my memories with Chester, now I will cherish them even more. I'll miss Chet greatly. I already do. I'm so thankful God placed Chester in my life. I'm a better person because of it.

Several of you who read my blog have never met Chester. To you I say, live your life sold out for Christ so you can meet Chet while we are all worshiping in heaven.

Chet was not happy I insisted on taking this picture. He quickly removed the sombrero afterward.

30 Day Bible Challenge: RENAMED

2010-11-01T19:47:00.005-04:00

Approximately 23 days ago I accepted a challenge to attempt to read the entire New Testament in 30 days. I knew it would be a huge challenge for me for a couple reasons. One, I'm a slow reader. Two, random trains of thought are triggered by things I find interesting when I read. Unfortunately they are very long trains. I knew this challenge would probably take more like 60 days.

The whole challenge has been much more difficult than I expected. Mark caught me off guard a bit. The last week or so I've been distracted by Abraham and Isaiah. This may have been DC's challenge but this is my blog, so I've renamed the challenge the 30ish Day Synoptic Gospels Challenge.

I'm almost done with Luke and will finished the revamped challenge in less than 30 days. Booyah! If the three people reading this are lucky, they will have a blog post to read before those 30 days end.

To the rest of you who successfully completed this challenge, congratulations!

The Right Time

2010-10-28T00:20:00.005-04:00

Do you ever notice God has the greatest timing ever? Do you ever think it sure doesn't feel like it? I've been reading the gospels and noticing how Christ always shows up at the right time, responds at the right time, provides at the right time, etc. Everything he does is always at the right time. It might not seem like it as we read the stories, but we always discover it was. That got me thinking of other places in Scripture where we see God stepping in at just the right moments.

The last couple days I've been thinking a lot about Abraham and his willingness to obey in faith as he prepared to sacrifice Isaac. As he climbed the mountain, was he thinking my son is dead? Did he sense that God may do something greater? Had he lost hope of becoming a great nation? I can't begin to imagine the thoughts he wrestled with on that walk. Even more I can't imagine what he felt as he raised the knife to kill his son. But at the last possible second God shows up and reveals a greater plan.

I've been wrestling with several things the last few weeks. Trying to make sense of the journey God has me walking right now. I've been quite frustrated this week with the ways Satan appears to be attacking not only me but those around me. Yesterday, at what seemed like the last possible moment a simple phone call changed everything. And because God is just that amazing, after some a good coffee conversation and a couple more phone calls, God has blown me away...once again.

God never fails. He always seems to know what just the right time is. I've got my idea but it usually is far from accurate. Tonight I'm thankful God knows me better than I do. I'm thankful for people who are willing to be obedient so God can use them. I'm thankful for the incredible faithfulness of my Abba.

Isaiah 55:8-9 "My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts"

Without words

2010-10-25T22:07:00.002-04:00

I've been staring at my computer screen trying to put into words all the thoughts in my head. Needless to say, two hours later...it isn't happening. So I'll share with you the words that are playing on repeat in my head tonight.

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. - Ephesians 3:22

Come, let us return to the Lord! He has torn us in pieces, now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time, he will restore us so we can live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him! Then he will respond as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring. - Hosea 6:1-3

30 Day Bible Challenge: Mark

2010-10-16T13:21:00.002-04:00

Mark is probably the gospels I've spent the least amount of time studying. I'm not really sure why that is.

Mark, for me anyway, draws my attention to the spiritual battle we are in more than any of the other gospels. Perhaps it is because Mark jumps into the story right at the beginning of Christ's ministry. I also think Mark makes it evident the role our faith plays in this battle be sharing several accounts of Christ healing people because of their faith.

I smile every time I read about Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) because DJ Olson use to start our camp staff training by teaching from this passage.

I'm still working through some thoughts on Mark 14:1-9. Maybe I'll share those thoughts in another post.

Some thoughts on Luke should come tonight if I have the chance. I'm a little behind in the blogging portion of this challenge.

30 Day Bible Challenge: Matthew

2010-10-14T20:19:00.009-04:00

Last week I joined my friends DC and Brooke on a little 30 day Bible challenge to read the New Testament. I decided I would blog some thoughts and observations along the way. I'm sure there will be very few profound thoughts and lots of thinking out loud. I guarantee most of the thoughts will seem random. It's how I am.

I, and I assume most, usually read the Bible in smaller chunks, but I think there is a lot of value to reading larger passages as well. It helps me get a better grip of the big picture of God's story. It also helps me connect with the story itself. Here are a few other observations.

I don't remember the Matthew being so descriptive. As I read through the book, I found myself imagining every detail of the scene. I would say it reads like a novel, but DC stole my thunder on that one.
I found myself connecting with people like John the Baptist and Peter much more than normal.
This was a much more emotional read than past reads.
Christ took advantage of every opportunity he had to teach.
Hypocrisy is in no way one of Christ's favorite things. (Matthew 23)

If I have a chance tomorrow, some thoughts on Mark.

Thoughts from the Woods

2010-09-29T22:51:00.007-04:00

Monday I spent some time listening to God as I explored some local woods. I literally came face-to-face with a red-tailed hawk and a white-tailed deer and had no camera to take pictures. I found some beaver tracks and tried to track down the creature but had no luck. It was awesome! Nature helps me reconnect with God. It reminds me of his creativity, majesty and love for his people.

While I was sinking ankle deep in mud and getting twigs stuck in my hair from climbing trees, God was teaching me about myself. I learned that no matter how much I love the idea of putting "safety first," he continually calls me to live dangerously. I was laying in a tree when I realized how many huge steps of faith God has called me to take in the last ten years. Every step of faith has had these characteristics.

These steps were all outside of my comfort zone.
There were plenty of other people telling me how dangerous or irresponsible the decision was.
God ALWAYS exceeded my expectations as I stepped forward.

To be honest, I frequently haven't recognized how great the risk was in each situation. I just knew it was the right thing to do. The desire to live in obedience seems to have blocked out most of the risk involved. I think God does that because he knows me so well. Otherwise, I may not have been so willing to leap.

I guess I am a little bit of an adventurer. God shared with me a little bit more about the adventure I'm on right now. I'm excited for it and know the next few months may not be easy but they will be fun. Maybe I'll even get another chance to catch that beaver!

Lessons from a Relationship Status

2010-09-26T00:04:00.007-04:00

Jessica, Rachel, Susanna and Me

I had the privilege of spending my day with these lovely ladies and the rest of the Ditto family. During our lunch conversation, we started talking about relationship statuses on Facebook. We wondered who would cause the most buzz by changing their status. Of course there was only one way to find out so we all changed our single status to in a relationship.

Being the competitive people that we are, we made it a contest, but it didn't stay that way for long. Shortly after the texts, phone calls, comments and messages started showing up, we noticed some interesting trends. Forget the friendly competition! We had a little social experiment on our hands. There were some interesting and disappointing observations.

People who we haven't spoken with in YEARS want to know every thing about your life.
People who we've tried to connect with but never have the time suddenly seem to have an abundance of it.
It was interesting to note the people who took the time to call or text instead of just leaving a comment. A majority of those people are ones who have been intentional about staying connected not matter what.
The people closests to us, flat out ignored it or called us out because they know there was no way it was true. This was my favorite response!
We have a handful of smart friends who actually noticed all of our statuses changed at the same time and we were spending the day together. Well they're either smart or spend way to much time on Facebook.

Probably the biggest thing we learned for these shenanigans was just how much attention a change in your relationship status can draw. I scrolled back on my wall for months looking for a status update the caused more individuals to respond than a relationship update. I couldn't find one!!! We all found that more people responded to this than almost every other subject we've ever posted about.

More people were interested in who the guy was we were dating than updates about family members, school, work, ministry or even things God was teaching us. And that last one was the thing that bothered me the most. More people called and text in one day to find out details about a relationship with a boy than have ever asked about how THE most important relationship I will ever have. That made me ask myself some tough questions today.

Am I doing what I can to encourage those in my life to pursue Christ?
Do I know how to pray for my friends and am I doing it?
Am I creating space in my life to listen to what is going on in the lives of those around me?

Okay, you can all start whining and complaining about being tricked and how unfair it is. And may be this does sound a bit harsh. Say what you want. It's my blog and my Facebook account. Deal with it!

Reflections on Blogging

2010-09-15T22:35:00.004-04:00

During a conversation with a group of GSM students after Journey Class tonight, I referenced an old blog post. When I got home tonight I decided to find it. In the process I read several old posts, many about teaching. I laughed. I cried. Teaching was such an adventure.

Now I'm sitting here wondering what my excuse is for not blogging. I have NONE! I enjoyed blogging. I'm glad I was able to capture the stories and emotions of the last few years. I THINK about blogging often. Obviously it rarely happens.

Maybe I'll get back to blogging on a regular basis. Maybe I won't. I guess time will tell.

Summer So Far - July Version

2010-07-27T23:07:00.011-04:00

July kicked off with some thing our family doesn't do often, a trip to the beach We went to Tunnel Park in Holland and had a picnic, went swimming, build some sandcastles and of course played some Frisbee. It was a blast!

Somehow I managed to not take a single picture of High School week at RLCA. However I stole this from picture from my friend Caiti because she is awesome. This was one of the most interesting weeks I've ever been a part of at Rock Lake. I've never had a group of high school student be as honest and open as the students were during this week. They took huge steps and have huge dreams of building the kingdom.

A few days after camp, my brother's foster boys went back to their birth mother. I had already made plans to hang out with my friend, Chris, who was in town but he was gracious enough to make a surprise visit with me so I could to see them one last time. We played Apples to Apples and watch the kids ride bikes. I already miss these boys a ton. I pray if they remember nothing else from their time with our family, they remember how much God loves them. I probably told them that a hundred times that night.

Since I've been able to spend more time at home this month, it was time for a party. So the Impact gang came over to eat lots of sandwiches and play some games. Scum was the big game of the night and some how Nicole spent lots of time sitting on the king's throne and I spent a lot of time sitting on the floor in the scum of the earth spot. Oh well it was a very fun night with some amazing friends!

Since most of the time I've had with my family this summer has been tied to trips for Impact, I decided to take a weekend and spent it in Vestaburg with my parents. That weekend started with the annual Lugnuts baseball game with the church. I use to babysit for all the boys in this picture. I've seen them a few times this summer and it was exciting to hear some of their stories about what God is teaching them.

Part of that weekend at home included a day trip to Indy for the Boehm-Sheese Summer Party. It was VERY hot but it was great to see part of the family we only get to see once or twice a year.

July has been full of exciting conversations. Some over a picnic meal on ND's campus. Some in an empty Burger King restaurant. Some over a cup of coffee or a simple glass of water. I really enjoy just hanging out and talking with friends. Hearing the stories of how God is moving and leading His people never gets old.

Summer So Far - June Version

2010-07-27T22:35:00.009-04:00

I know it is still July but if you are an educator or in student ministry you know that the school year is quickly approaching. Since I haven't blogged much this summer I thought I would share a few thoughts from the summer so far.

June started with a trip to my parent's house to do some work around the house with Anna and Ryan. We did some landscaping and assembled a swing set. After all that hard work we spent plenty of time eating and playing game. One of my new favorites, bocce ball!

A couple weeks later it was back to Vestaburg to lead worship for Vacation Bible School and share more about Impact's ministry. VBS week is always a bit crazy but I had the chance to have some really good conversations with my nieces and nephews about how much God loves them. And I get to tell all the students how awesome camp is!

Then it was off to MCSC for Deeper Life, a high school week of camp. This year was probably one of my favorite weeks I've done with this team. It was a powerful week of digging into what it means to BE. My highlight was watching my friend Jonathan (one of our Impact students) have the opportunity to baptize one of his campers.

It's been too long

2010-07-03T00:42:00.004-04:00

It has been far too long since I've been to the beach. In fact I can't really remember the last time I went to a beach. I forgot how much fun you can have there. Today I met part of my family at Tunnel Park in Holland, MI. A picnic, swimming, sand castles, Frisbee and lots of laughs make for a great day!

Time Flies

2010-05-15T00:21:00.005-04:00

I was going to post some pictures and share a little bit about everything that has happened over the last month but then I started feeling a little old.

I was looking at this picture of my youngest niece, Cora, who turned a year old is January. I was going to write about my trip to see her and how she can now say Aunt Sarah.And then it hit me, a year from now, I'll be blogging about how my oldest niece, Heather, is graduating from high school. She went to prom this year! That's just weird.May be some day you'll get that post about what has happened over the last month, but until then I'll be trying to figure out how my nieces and nephews are growing up so fast.

Change around a Fire

2010-04-05T00:35:00.005-04:00

Amazing things can happen around a fire.
--The most random group of people easily find ways to connect and new relationships are built. Our view of the kingdom is stretched a little wider.
--Silence is comfortable and accepted. God's whispers suddenly seem more audible then they've ever been.
--Worship happens...Stories are shared. Songs are sung. Creation is admired. Steps are defined.
--Life-changing memories are made.

This week I've had the privilege of hanging out with some absolutely amazing people around a bonfire. We laughed, cried and had a blast. God showed up in those moments and lives were changed by simply watching some stars, listening to a guitar and sharing our journeys. I was changed.

I'm incredibly grateful for these memories. I wouldn't have the month start any other way.

Springview Reflections: Community

2010-03-29T20:15:00.004-04:00

I'm a very independent person. I want to be able to do everything by myself. I don't like having to ask for help. I'm incredibly stubborn on top of that. This means God is constantly having to remind me that he created us to do life together. Our retreat was a great reminder of this.

Why do I think that some how I can handle doing life on my own? Honestly it is just plain stupid. There is great value in building healthy relationships with other people. We learn from each other. We pick each other up when we fall. We encourage each other. We challenge each other.

I spent the weekend with some incredible people. We were all at different points in our journey. We were all completely different. As we shared our stories, our struggles and our victories we shared ourselves. Through all of that I learn more about myself. I get a bigger glimpse of God.

Sure we are all human and far from perfect. We'll make mistakes along the way and have to learn to forgive each other. I want to learn to be a better friend to others, to learn how to help others on the journey better than I am now.

Springview Reflections: At War

2010-03-29T00:55:00.005-04:00

Ephesians 6:12 "For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

I know what you are thinking. "I thought this was a spiritual retreat. What's with all the weapons?" There are the obvious explanations. During a free afternoon David Joe and Chuck (pictured above) taught us how to shoot. It is a way of life on the farm. We carried the rifle with us as we hiked through the woods in case we came face to face with some wild boar or coyotes. And we brought machetes to help clear the path.

Then there are the not so obvious observations. It wasn't our theme for the weekend but the subject of spiritual warfare came up many times. I'm guessing all of us could identify the recent attacks from the enemy in our individual lives. Most of us came to the retreat feeling beat up and to some extent, defeated. But I'm not sure the conversations about these things would have ever come up if we hadn't started talking about weapons, how they work, and their purpose.

The battles we are fighting are part of a very real war that far too often many like to ignore. We can't though. We know how the story ends. God dominates! But knowing that ending doesn't me we get a free pass to not fight the battles. This weekend we got to talk very openly about these battles and we got to encourage each other along the way.

If shooting some guns and swinging some machetes is what it takes to get students to dialogue about our real battles, I'll shoot targets in a corn field any day.

Springview Reflections: Get Out of the Way

2010-03-26T00:20:00.004-04:00

There is a lot prayer and preparation that goes into any retreat. Last weekend was no exception. We planned a few activities but for the most part we wanted to create the space and freedom for students (and staff) to connect with God in their own ways. Knowing that, I came with some goals for me personally.

By the time we arrived at Springview, I had already revamped all of our plans for that evening. By the end of campfire that night it became evident I was there to do two things. 1) Stay out of the way. 2) Be available. All of the sudden I had new goals.

I'm so glad I discovered that on our first night because I'm afraid I would have missed somethings otherwise. I wonder what would have been different if I wouldn't have pushed aside the original plan and focused on these. What would I have missed? What would others have missed?

I wonder how often we get in the way of something greater that God is trying to do. My original plans to do some extra reading and writing were good, but they were nothing compared to what God had in store. It leads me to ask this question.

Where else am I getting in the way of what God is trying to do?

Springview Reflections: Wash Over Me

2010-03-23T17:03:00.005-04:00

During Impact's Spring Retreat last weekend a group of us hiked to this waterfall. As I watched Ty playing in the fall I realized it was the perfect image of the conversation I was having with God at the moment. So I grabbed my camera to capture the image.

I had visited this fall last November on a personal retreat. During that visit I was reminded of Jami Smith's Wash Over Me where she sings "only you can take this life and make it look like Jesus." Since then I've been praying God would do that with my life.

This weekend I found myself reflecting on how I've grown during those months and how there is still so much growth that needs to happen. We hiked further down stream on this trip and I looked at all of the stones whose rough edges had been smoothed away by the running water.

I long to be like those stones, smooth and shaped by the power of God. I'm not there yet but I'm taking steps. Just like David I keep praying that God would wash over me, cleanse me and smooth my rough edges.

Psalm 51:2 "Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin."

A little time

2010-03-09T01:46:00.000-05:00

I love spending time with friends. Drinks at a coffee shop, a wheat-free meal, movies, chasing possums, coloring pictures, watching hockey, sitting in silence, sharing stories, building campfires...I don't really even care what we are doing as long as it involves being together.

It makes a huge difference when you take a part of your time and give it to someone else. You learn about other people's lives and the journey they are traveling. I've learned this about friends I've spent time recently. There have been moments of sharing both tears of joy and pain. In some moments there were lots of words shared and other moments just the peaceful stillness of each others presence.

This last week has been another reminder of how we have been created for community. A little time with a friend may just be the very thing they, or even you, need.

Change: A Love-Hate Relationship

2010-03-05T02:02:00.005-05:00

I’ve always hated change. It is full of uncertainty and I can’t prepare for that. I don’t like not being prepared. Most of the time that is still true but I’m starting to find the beauty in change.

Not all the changes life has thrown at me in the last several months have been easy. Some come with great freedom and I welcome them with open arms. Most come head to head with my stubbornness. A few still come despite my kicking and screaming in resistance.

Perhaps the difference is the result of a better attitude. Perhaps I’ve just learned to accept that I can’t control things. Perhaps I’ve finally faced the reality that change happens. Regardless of what it is I’ve learned change brings an opportunity for growth.

I finding that growth from change may just be worth the uncertainty. I’m learning more about who I am and how God has created me. I’m constantly being reminded of how passionately God is pursuing me and how deeply he loves me. I’m being challenged to do more to live in community with others. I'm learning to trust. Had life continued as it was before, I fear I may have never grown in my understanding of these things.

I’ll probably always hate uncertainty. But somewhere in the middle of this love-hate relationship with change is the beauty of God molding and shaping me. That I love!

Impatient Dreams

2010-02-04T15:41:00.006-05:00

February is my least favorite month. It is during this month that I wrestle the most with my lack of patience. Winter has been here forever and spring is too far away. The blanket of snow out my back window is beautiful but it has over stayed its welcome, at least in my book.

In recent years I've tried to do less complaining about the cold weather and start dreaming more of what spring and summer will hold. I can't say I've been all to successful but at least I'm trying. Today I've done lots of dreaming and praying about some of the things I'm looking forward to this summer. Things like...

Vacation Bible School - As much as I'm not a fan of little kids songs, I love serving alongside my family and helping young students learn what it means to worship God.

Family - Coming from a family of educators, there is always more time to be together once school is out for the summer.

Chicago - This will be the first year I haven't been able to go with our GSM students to serve in Chicago. I'm pretty disappointed but I can't wait to hear what God does on their trip.

Golf - Since my brother finally taught me how to play last year, I've decided this is the summer to demolish him in the game! As a sidenote: provided there are no ankle injuries in May, I'll be back on the softball field as well!!!

CAMP!!!!!! - I'm very excited about Deeper Life and Rock Lake's High School week. I really wish I could add Camp Adventure to the schedule but unfortunately that isn't going to work out this summer.

Dear summer, PLEASE come quickly!!!

Birthday Reflections

2009-12-18T01:58:00.003-05:00

I know I've said it before but birthdays are a big deal in our family. We have a tradition of making sure we always call each other on our birthdays. It is the one day out of the year I know I'll get to talk to everyone in my family. However, this year my phone is broke. For the first time, I didn't get to talk to anyone in my family. It was weird and a bit sad but despite that it was a great day.

I spent my day working on gifts for our core students. I LOVE GIVING GIFTS! I really couldn't care less about receiving them. In fact I'm not a huge fan but I get so excited to watch people get them.

I was able to have coffee with my amazing friend, Honey. Our conversation was full of stories of what God is teaching us. It was an incredibly encouraging time. I'm so thankful to have a friend like her. According to her, I'll be writing a few more posts because of that conversation. We'll see how that goes.

This evening we had a little Christmas party for our core group. It was a blast. We laughed so hard we cried. We ate tons of food, including an ice cream cake they bought me for my birthday. We took a ton of pictures. It has become our favorite past time as a group. You can see all of them on Facebook.

This year has been a great one. God continues to blow me away. I find myself loving Him more and more each day. This next year is going to be another incredible one!

Another "Only Sarah" Story

2009-12-09T23:03:00.002-05:00

I was told a couple weeks ago by a friend that they couldn't wait to hang out again because I have the greatest stories. I'm not sure how true that is but tonight will be added into my rotation of stories.

As I drove home tonight, it didn't take me long to realized the car behind me was following me. I didn't think to much of it because I was pretty sure I knew who it was. After getting to a road with better light I realized it wasn't who I thought it was. I pulled into my apartment complex and realized I didn't recognize the car. I pulled up to my building and noticed the car parking a few spots away from my car. I quickly ran into my apartment and locked the doors. I had never seen that car by our building before. They stayed parked outside my apartment for about ten minutes and then finally left.

Then I got a call from some creepy guy who knew WAY more information than any stranger should know. Information that wouldn't be found on facebook or my blog. If that was weird enough he proceeded to ask me questions about a friend of mine and wanted all sorts of information about this friend. He wouldn't tell me anything about himself or why he wanted all of this information. He got nothing from me and was rather frustrated by it. Did he really think I was that stupid?! CREEPY!

I honestly have no clue why random things like this happen to me all the time. I guess they do make pretty entertaining stories. I just keep laughing about it. What else are you going to do?

Consumed by my Abba

2009-11-25T00:28:00.005-05:00

Towards the end of October I started praying that God would consume every part of me. I needed to find a way to remind myself to be constantly connected to him through out my day no matter what the circumstances.

I decided to start being more intentional about looking for how God was moving around me and listening closer to the Spirit's voice. To mark those connections I decided I would stop in the moment and jot down a quick prayer in my journal. When I didn't have my journal I would text myself or twitter the prayer.

Tonight I went back through the last 24 days and read some of the prayers. I am amazed!

Abba teach me to be more patient and to love like you love.
Abba your love and faithfulness overwhelms me. You are my source of joy.
Abba teach me to love more, to takes steps of faith to shine you.
Abba just one. One love. One focus. One more worker for the harvest.
Abba I am overwhelmed by your passionate pursuit of me and consuming love.
Abba break me of the things that are not of you. I long to look more like you.
Abba, you are the source of my joy. Thanks for an incredible day.
Abba I’m trusting you. Help me when I doubt.
Abba my life is yours. All for you and for your glory.
Abba help me in my unbelief. Forgive me when I fail to trust you fully.
My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness 2 Cor 12:9 -- Abba you are all I need. Consume me.
Abba consume every part of me.

God is doing so much in my life and I feel like I can't keep up. I'm falling more and more in love with my Abba as I see more and more how much he is pursuing me. I find myself consumed by his love and goodness at what appear to be the most random times. His love is far beyond my comprehension. I can't wait to see what he has in store next!

Anticipation, Homesickness and Advent

2009-11-20T01:03:00.006-05:00

Some vampire movie came out this week called New Moon or Old Sun or something like that. Evidently people are really excited about this. They are even counting down the days in the facebook updates and tweets. I have to confess all of the anticipation seems a bit overdone. Perhaps it is because I find myself convicted. After all I've been guilty of doing the same thing with summer vacation. It's the expectation and a longing for something that just can't seem to get here fast enough. But should those things really be the focus of my anticipation?

I've found myself feeling homesick lately, not for Vestaburg or my family, but to be done with this broken world and be in the presence of my Abba. I even asked Jesus the other day if we could hurry up and get some more people saved so he could come back. Don't get me wrong I am loving life these days. I start thinking about what God has promised and I get impatient. (Big surprise. I know.) It seems like this is ought to be something I have great anticipation for instead of temporary things.

Advent is just around the corner. It is my favorite time of year. Advent is about anticipation and expecting that God will deliver on his promises. I don't really now what I love this season so much. It just always seems right. I always seem to discover a deeper peace during this time of year accompanied by a bit of unrest. So many people don't know that sense of longing that tugs on their core is Jesus just waiting for them to respond.

I guess the arrival of the vampires and the advent season have challenged me to stop and ask some tough questions. What if we had the same anticipation and longing for Christ's return as we do for things that really have no lasting value? Would my life look differently? Would I be more willing to share with others? Am I waiting with great anticipation?

More Roadtrip Highlights

2009-11-01T23:04:00.002-05:00

For someone who really doesn't enjoy driving, I sure do take a lot of road trips. This month will be full of traveling too! Here are some highlights from this week's adventures.

- Doing tons of baking with my mommy
- Consuming wheat - NOT a good highlight!
- Beginning to dream about Camp 2010 with an incredible leadership team
- A beautiful fall evening remembering how my brother would beg me to be his hunting dog
- Staying up too late with Kari and the 1A girls
- Coffee and lunch with my brother
- Great conversations in Wally's office
- Praying with my boss, Dean
- Watching God answer more prayers than I think I even prayed!
- Sharing stories with Brooke from our journeys

Next road trip is this weekend. I'm heading to Kentucky to see Joe and Bev and enjoy some personal retreat time. I can't begin to explain how excited I am for this!

Roadtrip Highlights

2009-10-21T01:23:00.003-04:00

Surprising Jeff and Mitch at Speedway
Being challenged once again by Matt, a faculty member from high school camp
La Senorita's with my parents
Logan, running to greet me and whispering over and over in my ear "I love you Aunt Sarah"
Hearing how God is working in the lives of former campers and friends
Wheat-free dinner with Derek, one of the most encouraging friends I know
Watching Kari and Caiti play some great volleyball on senior night and seeing a couple of my middle school teachers while I was there
Phenomenal conversations with Jesus during the long car rides

I love these little mini road trips. God always does amazing things on them!

Life is Good!

2009-10-19T23:03:00.003-04:00

There is really no point to this post other than to blog and share a great picture DC took at GSM yesterday. And since this is my blog, I can ramble all I want...in list form of course.

- God is doing some amazing things on South Bend campuses. We've started our Core Group Bible study. We have an incredible group of students who are passionate about following Christ and anxious to share with their fellow students.

- GSM is in full swing and the school year is off to an incredible start. John taught during middle school on evil this week. Check out this awesome picture DC took during his message. Hilarious!!!
- I'm trying to find a way to take a mini-personal retreat in Kentucky. I've been waiting so long to go and visit my friends there and learn more from them. It actually looks like it could happen now. This is very exciting to me.

- I am in Michigan connecting with some students I've coached and mentored, as well as catch up with some friends and family. I made a surprise stop at the St. John's Speedway to visit my camp buddies, Jeff and Mitch. I love making quick surprise stops like that.

- I had the privilege to catch up with a good friend, Matt Schantz. I've posted before about how much I've learned from him. He has been doing campus ministry at Central Michigan for many years. He had some great advice and was incredibly encouraging. I'm very thankful we were able to connect today.

- I had a date with my Daddy tonight. He took me to my favorite restaurant back home, La Senorita's. And to make it even better was the fact that Mom got to join us since she didn't have to go in for jury duty!!! It was so much fun to just sit and hang out.

- I'm looking forward to connecting with some former students tomorrow and some other Lansing friends. These Road trips are always so refreshing.

Living Examples of Jesus - Part 11

2009-09-28T20:36:00.018-04:00

Showing our cheesiest smiles while watching baseball with the Chicag09 team
Photo by Sam Peterson

I ran into my friend, Seth, this afternoon and he brought some encouragement with him. As I thanked God for the encounter, I decided my next blog post would be about what he has taught me through Seth.

TODAY'S LIVING EXAMPLE OF JESUS:
Seth Bible

Seth is one of most intriguing people I've ever met. One minute he makes you laugh so hard your crying and the next you are scratching your head trying to figure out what in the world he is talking about. He's an phenomenal musician whose heart desires nothing more than to fully worship God. Seth has an amazing talent of arranging notes and words to create powerful works of music and art. We are nothing alike but I love serving with him. Whenever I do I'm reminded of God's creativity.

I've learned over this past year Seth is also incredibly patient. I have to process things out loud and Seth became one of my sounding boards this summer. Sometimes this meant sitting and listening to me ramble for while stuck in Chicago traffic. He never complained or checked out and even offered his perspective along the way. I'm confident Christ was the same way, listening as his followers shared what was on their minds.

Seth also has this great skill of recognizing the little things in people and encouraging them with it. At what seems like the most random time, Seth stops the conversation to point out something great he sees in someone else. I've seen him do it with students, leaders, and friends. They are simple, yet powerful words. It reminds me of how Jesus saw things in the people he met and called it out of them when they needed it most.

I'm so grateful for my friendship with Seth and his faithful obedience to Christ. Thank you Seth for allowing God to use you to teach me and many others. Thanks for showing us Jesus.

A New Ministry

2009-09-16T23:39:00.001-04:00

I took a huge leap of faith by turning in my letter of resignation without having another position lined up. It was evident that God was working and I knew he would reveal the next step in his time. That is exactly what he did!

Today I met with the director of Impact Ministries International and accepted a position doing campus ministry right here in South Bend. I will have the privilege sharing Jesus with college students across the area and helping them build an intimate relationship with Him. How exciting is that?!

And if that isn’t exciting enough, I’ll be working alongside my good friend Lowell Kosak. I’ve spent a ton of time talking with him about campus ministry, asking questions and learning a ton about loving Jesus and loving others, and praying about Impact’s ministry.

“So when do you start?” may be your next question. Well, I’m already volunteering in the ministry and will continue to do that as I raise the financial support needed for the position. I am so excited to see how God will use his people to provide that support. He has already proven his faithfulness in amazing ways the last few months.

I don’t have any words to express how incredible grateful I am to be a part of what God is doing here on our local campuses. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and encouragement during the last several weeks. Buckle your seat belts. The fun has just begun.

Taking a Leap

2009-09-03T19:53:00.021-04:00

The beginning of August has become the time when I look back over the summer and start processing what I've learned and how to apply it to the school year. This year was no different until I realized I was standing at the edge of the cliff and God was asking me to jump.

All summer I watched as God confirmed my call to student ministry. I was amazed by how much I learned about the Spirit and his presence in my life. As I started to pray about what this meant for my classroom I started to feel very uneasy about going back to school. I didn't think much about it but then I started to wonder if maybe what God had been preparing me for all summer was going back into full time ministry.

I began spending every free moment with God praying, reading, studying and listening. During the summer I had started talking with different churches and ministries about possible staff positions and now I didn't feel at peace about returning to Edison. I felt a pull to resign from my position at the school so I would be free to move wherever God led. Of course that didn't seem logical so I ignored it. Then the tug got stronger and stronger. I knew God was asking me to jump and leaving the classroom was what my jump.

After seeking some advice from people much wiser than I am and talking some more with God, I turned in my letter of resignation. Since it was so close to school, I agreed to stay for three weeks to help with the transition and give the district more time to find a replacement. Tomorrow is the end of those three weeks. I don't know for sure what God has in store next but I know he already has it figured out. There are a few possibilities on the table that I'm pursuing and God will make my next step clear in his time.

When I told a friend about my decision she said, "That's not a step of faith. That's a leap!" It certainly is but I'm not worried about what comes next for me. I can't tell you how incredibly excited I am about what God is doing. Taking the leap wasn't the easiest thing I've done but it is by far one of the most freeing.

If you are ever at a point where God asks you to jump, do it!

Summer Flashback, Part 2

2009-09-02T23:47:00.002-04:00

I've been sharing some thoughts from my summer that were never blogged about when they happened. Today we take a look back at the events of July. Now July was suppose to be a rather relaxed, unscheduled month. Yea that didn't happen and I'm glad.

High School Week 2009 - Rock Lake Christian Assembly
While I was home for the Fourth of July I found out only one high school student from my home church was signed up for camp. Well that didn't settle well with me so I started recruiting. There was one student in particular, Kyle, that I felt strongly I needed to get to come. I was having no luck. So I went home several days before camp started to try to change his mind. I'll be honest the encouraging words became begging very quickly. The good news is after recruiting his friend, Lexie, to come a few hours before camp started Kyle decided to come too.

It was an incredible week to watch the transformation happen in both Kyle and Lexie's lives. I got a front row seat to watch faculty members pray for these two and watch God grab hold of them and show them his love in a new way. On Friday Kyle's dad baptized Kyle and I had the privilege of baptizing Lexie. It was humbling and incredible to have God so very clearly include me in His plan for the week. It reminded me once again how present his Holy Spirit is in my life and how active the Spirit is.

Prayer Journey - South Bend, IN
A couple weeks after camp, I met up with some friends from Impact Ministries International to pray over the college campuses in South Bend. I'll admit at first I really didn't want to be there but after about ten minutes of praying for ND and the students there everything changed. God spent the 2 days I was on the journey throwing new insights and reminders at me from every angle. God completely shattered what I thought student ministry would look like for my future. My journaling during these is one massive list of bullet point ideas that just kept coming my way. I couldn't do anything else because I was so overwhelmed my the information I was being throw at me.

I left that prayer journey with my head spinning and absolutely no clue what was going on in my life. Nothing made sense. Nothing seemed right. Something was missing and I was just waiting for God to make sense of it all. That chaos in my head was only the beginning of the whirlwind that would take place over the next few weeks. More on that tomorrow!

Summer Flashback, Part 1

2009-09-01T22:07:00.006-04:00

Since I never really blogged much about my summer, I decided I'm going to spend the next few days sharing some highlights. These posts will lead up to the big news I've been anxiously waiting to share.

Road Trip #1 - Quincy, IL and St. Louis, MO
I spent the first week after school ended with my younger sisters. While on that trip I asked God to use this summer to prepare me for the next school year. I didn't know what that meant exactly I just wanted to give him the next two months to do whatever he needed to do in me. He should have made the buckle your seat belt sign a little bigger!

VBS 2009 - Vestaburg, MI
It has become a bit of a tradition to travel home and help my home church with their VBS each summer. This year it was held at Rock Lake Christian Assembly, where I grew up going to church camp. During this week I had the opportunity to reconnect with several of the students from our church. Some of those students were in the Sunday School class I taught in high school. Others were students I use to baby sit for. Little did I know some connections and conversations that week would come into play later in the summer. (Sorry have to wait until part 2 for the rest of that story!)

Deeper Life 2009 - Michiana Christian Service Camp, Niles, MI
I can't hardly make sense out of anything I wrote during this week. It is so scattered and random! And truth be told, I'm still processing this idea of covenant. But there are a few things that caught my attention. There is a continuous theme of belonging to Christ and letting him completely reign in my life. It all started with two simple phrases God spoke very clearly to me on Day 1.

Sarah, I will fulfill my purpose for you.
Sarah, I am worthy of your trust.

When I first wrestled with them it became clear that it wouldn't play a huge rule in the week but that God needed to keep them in my heart and mind all summer. Much like the notes in my journal I left this week a little confused. I felt God confirming my call to minister to students but more uncertain of what that looks like than I ever have before.

Chicag09 - Chicago, IL
If you really want to know what happened on this trip and more of my thoughts, go check out the team blog. There are stories, pictures, and reactions galore there. I learned much more about myself than I would have ever expected. I discovered new things about how I process, lead and communicate with others. I learned more about how present the Holy Spirit really is in my life. At one point in the trip I journaled at length about this weird tension that seemed to be rising up in me. I was beginning to feel pulled in a couple different direction and I didn't know what to do with it. I couldn't articulate any of it. I simply wrote, "Abba you are doing some thing deep inside me that I just don't understand. The awkward, uncomfortable feeling of being stuck between an impostor and the beloved."

So that was the month of June and July got even better. Come back tomorrow for that part of the story! Until then I've got to get some sleep. I'm not even proof-reading this. Don't judge me!

Funny Morning

2009-08-21T09:58:00.003-04:00

I hate the first few hours of the school day. Mostly because I'm not a morning person. However, this year is different. I've never laughed this much this early in the morning.

I have 8th graders first hour. They walked in to see a long rehearsal order and new reed prices (a significant increase) posted on the board. Then I heard this from a GSM student,

Student: (quite loudly) Oh my Lord!
Miss Koutz: Uh, would you like to try that again?
Student: (same volume) Oh my Holy Spirit!

I couldn't hold back the laughter. I tried but it just didn't work. The entire class was full of funny comments. There is no way I could write them all down. Most of them include inside jokes for our class and if you aren't familiar with middle school students you wouldn't laugh anyway.

After class, I told two girls they needed to pick up the pace or they would be late. One of them thought I told her to pick up her pants. Her response:

Student: (Tries to pull up pants) I know I was already pulled over for them being too long.
Miss Koutz: Not pants, pace. You need to hurry up or you'll be late.
Student: Oh! I thought you were talking about my pants because I was pulled over this.....
Miss Koutz: What!? You really did just say pulled over!? Were you driving your car down the hallway?
Student: Yea I got a ticket too.

She really did explain her dress code violation as if a cop had pulled her over on the road. Then I met with my principal about some upcoming transitions and I'm pretty sure she cracked jokes about every Old Testament story there is including calling herself Abednego. We walked out of her office so hard people turned and walked the opposite direction rolling their eyes.

Okay so only about two of you really understand how funny those conversations are and why it is so funny to me I would dedicate an entire post to it. The rest of you will have to just deal with it because it is my blog. I sure hope the rest of the day goes this well. I'm teaching double duty this afternoon.

Living Examples of Jesus, Part 10

2009-08-12T00:31:00.009-04:00

I love camp!!!! Over the last year or so I've had the chance to reconnect (Thank you facebook!) with some of the faculty members that allowed God to use them to impact my life when I was a camper. Their obedience to God literally shaped the rest of my journey. And yes I stole all of these pictures from facebook. Stop judging me!

TODAY'S LIVING EXAMPLES OF JESUS: Camp Faculty Members

Don Stowell (you should add a picture to facebook so I can steal it)
When I was in middle school I insisted on attending the 8th & 9th grade camp lead by Don. At first it was because it was closer to being high school week than the 7th & 8th week but after that it was because the week was so incredibly amazing! Every time you walked by Don at camp there was a high five or a hug followed by incredible words of encouragement. I imagine Jesus was much like that, encouraging the people he came in contact with. I remember one summer I was frustrated and didn't think there was really anything I could do well. I don't know if he had caught wind of this or not but one night he pulled me aside and listed the things I had done that week that had impacted someone else. He even gave me a nickname the reflected that. Reminds me of when Jesus gave Peter his name.

Tracy and Wendy Tooley
At one of those weeks of middle school camp, Tracy and Wendy Tooley were my family leaders. WOW!!! Talk about one incredible family group. I never thought I would meet people who were so passionate about Jesus and knew how to have a ton of fun. I remember family discussions about God's forgiveness and unfailing love. Every time we had verses ready to recite to them, Tracy will drill us with questions about the meaning of the passage. Tracy and Wendy understood the value of taking family time and pouring into a group of students. They shared so much wisdom with us and I tried to soak in as much as I could. I'm sure the conversations and silly things we did were much like the times Jesus sat around with his 12 disciples.

DJ Weiss
When I was a high school camper, DJ lead the high school week. I also considered him my adopted youth minister. We did a ton of things at our church when I was in high school but we didn't have an official youth minister. DJ followed up with how things were going through out the school year. He would invite me to come along on trips or join Bible studies with his youth group. More than anything he always challenged me to spend more time in the word. He would ask how things were going and then immediately ask how my time with God had been. It was that accountability that helped me develop the discipline to spend time studying and praying daily. He never judged me when I got lazy. He just always pointed me back to the Father, just like Jesus.

Matt Schantz
I first remember meeting Matt when my brother, Matthew started attending CMU where Matt is the campus minister. I remember tagging along with Matthew to hang out with friends from His House or sit in on a Bible study. Then I went to high school week and Matt was there. Matt is another one of those incredibly encouraging people. I'll never forget the summer I was the only girl who decided to play ultimate frisbee. After the game Matt pulled me aside and said, "You're a pretty good frisbee player. Don't let anyone else ever tell you you can't do something because you are a girl. You have special gifts. Use them." Over the next few summers at camp and the times I saw him during the school year he helped me discover some leadership skills I didn't know I had and taught me how to start embracing them as a gift from God. Kind of reminds me how Jesus pulled out the gifts in some crazy fishermen.

There are many more stories and many more people. Check out some of the previous posts in this series or stay tuned. There will me more to come!

Living Examples of Jesus, Part 9

2009-08-01T23:55:00.006-04:00

I know I have been talking about adding to this list for months now but I'm actually going to do it this time. Thanks to a little encouragement from a friend to pick up the pace of my blogging. Look out ya'll!

TODAY'S LIVING EXAMPLE OF JESUS:
Tom and Jill Neyhart

(I stole this picture from Lowell Kosak, who should start a blog.)

There is no other way to put it. These two are simply amazing! I first met them at camp several years ago and I have been challenged by them every summer since then. How many people would drive several hours to come prayer over the college campuses in your town?!

Tom has encouraged me over and over again to keep pursuing the gifts God has given me. At times when I feel like I don't have what it takes he is quick to offer a word of encouragement and a swift kick in the rear end to get me moving again. Plus he is a Reds fan, which makes him even more amazing.

Jill is full of so much wisdom and faith. I've learned so much from watching her lead in her own unique way. She has taught me the value of knowing when it is time to be hands-on and when it is time to be hands-off. I'm always amazed at how well she does that too. She has taught me about the value of pouring yourself into others even if you don't understand the whole situation.

Over the last year or so God has really stretched Tom and Jill and their faithfulness through it all is a great testimony to God's faithfulness. I listen to their stories and am blown away. All God calls us to do is to be obedient and he'll take care of the rest. Tom and Jill are such incredible examples of that truth. I'm so grateful for them!

Thanks for showing me Jesus friends!!!

------------------------------------------------------------
Part 1: Jeffrey Myers
Part 2: Michael and Jeannette Cox
Part 3: Nellie "Granny" Hubbard
Part 4: Eric and Mary Christian
Part 5: Jason Miller
Part 6: Wally Lowman & DJ Olson
Part 7: Lois Koutz-Carver
Part 8: The Inner Circle

An "Only Sarah" Story

2009-07-23T01:54:00.004-04:00

This evening I was sitting in my apartment rather bored. I thought I need to call Tia and hang out. So we make plans to head to her place and hang out. There were some other random people there and her dad build us a wonderful bonfire to sit and chat around.

We sat there for quite some time sharing stories about the different camps we had all been to and the things God did during those weeks. Around 11:30 or so Tia decides it is time for a good roof sitting party. I was a bit nervous when she told me I had to climb a TV antennae since I had just tripped on the gutter. I climbed up anyway. (Don't tell my ankle doctor!)

Three of us were on the house sitting when we noticed a call pull up. At first I thought they were going to ask for directions but the man gets out of the car. I realize pretty quickly it's a cop. Tia and her sister head over to talk with him and another friend informs the two of us on the roof we should get down.

I'm thinking, "Great, we are too loud and someone called the cops on us. Fantastic. Here I thought we were being pretty quiet. Well, except for when I tripped over the gutter." We get down only to hear the officer tell us we need to go inside and lock the doors. Evidently the video store behind the house was robbed at gun point and the man fled on foot by the house.

So we head inside and lock the door. But first Tia runs out the back door to find out what the screaming in the back ways. However, the cops shined her down with a flashlight and she took off running back in the house. Here we are chilling in the living room watching out the window when the cops come running by with dogs, which appeared to be following a scent they did not like.

We finally decided we should wake up Tia's parents in case the police wanted to ask questions or come inside. Good thing we did because not long after the police were at the door asking what we saw or heard. We weren't much help though. We watched them search the area some more. Tia got pretty angry when one of the dogs urinated on their mailbox. We probably should have found a safer place than by an uncovered window, but we were content.

Even after the police had cleared the area we said inside and let our imaginations run wild with what if's. What if we had gone to the roof about ten minutes earlier? Would we have seen the whole thing? What if our friend Sarah would have shown up ten minutes earlier to the house? Would he have run right by her? What if we would have gone to rent a movie like we talked about? What if the guy was under our cars? What if he would have stolen the cars? What if he would have demanded to hide in the house? Our imaginations soared and we laughed at the whole thing. All while being amazed at how timing is everything and God protected us.

These are the types of stories I love to tell when I go home because people can't believe it actually happens. These are the stories I tell and then are immediately asked if I ever get scared living and teaching in South Bend.

Truth be told I'm not scared. After all I am the one that ran out of my apartment to chase the two punks who were trying to break into my car. These things make for great stories and we'll share the memories for years to come. As my family would say, "Only you, Sarah. Only you."

Chicag09 Pictures

2009-07-02T14:26:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures from our trip. Even though we only had one camera we took a ton of pictures.

You can see Jeff's from day 1 before our equipment was stolen here.

Chicag09 is Here!

2009-06-23T18:09:00.004-04:00

We have arrived safely in Chicago and are getting cleaned up from our first day of serving. I'll be posting daily on our Chicag09 blog so stop by and check it out.

Leave a message for the team. They love them...even if they don't know who it is from. They've been asking me all day if anyone has left a comment and we haven't even been here 24 hours.

Thanks so much for those of you who are praying for us. God is going to do some great things this week.

Privilege and Blessing

2009-06-23T00:27:00.008-04:00

I love watching students grow and take steps towards Christ. Some students run full speed ahead. Some students may fall down a few times before them move forward. Anyway you look at it, I love being a part of it.

And every now and then you have students who you get the privilege of serving along side after watching them grow in the walk. I've been blessed to be able to do that with several students over the last few years. I decided I would share two of those stories with you.

Tomorrow my good friend, Kari, leaves for the Dominican Republic. She will be spending her summer doing an internship there. I first met Kari at youth group shortly after I came on staff at her church. After I finished college, we continued to meet for coffee on a weekly basis. Then we worked on camp staff together one summer. It has been an awesome experience to watch her grow and learn from her as well. I love that I'm still able to go and visit her at school about once a semester. I don't know what I'll do when she graduates. I'm so proud of her for committing her summer to serving Christ!

This is a picture of our family group from camp last week. Standing behind me in the white and blue baseball shirt is Tyler Piercefield. I found out several weeks before camp that he and I would be leading a group together and I chuckled. I first met Tyler when I was in high school working at Rock Lake. He was probably only about 9 years old at the time. He was one of those campers who made you laughed. I moved away and didn't see him again until he was a high school camper. Since then he would randomly come to mind and I would pray for him. I had no idea I would have the privilege of serving along side him for a week. He also is spending his summer serving Christ as a part of GLCC's camp team. I'm proud of him too.

Two different students that I never would have imagined being able to work with again once they were out of high school. Two students that I now call friends. I can't wait to see where God takes them from here. It is such a privilege and blessing to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of students. I'm so thankful I get to be a part of it!

Deeper Life 2009

2009-06-22T14:08:00.003-04:00

There is so much I could share about Deeper Life and I'm sure I will eventually. Right now all my focus is on our Chicag09 trip. So until then you can check out these pictures and follow our Chicag09 team HERE.

Chicag09 is coming soon!

2009-06-20T16:26:00.002-04:00

Tuesday we'll load up a GCC shuttle and head to Chicago for a week. Here are some pictures of our last team meeting. I absolutely love this team and can't wait to see what God has in store for us.

A Week in Vestaburg

2009-06-20T16:21:00.002-04:00

I was fortunate enough to spend the first week of this month in Vestaburg with my family. I helped with Vacation Bible School at the camp and watched a lot of ball. Here are some pictures of the crazy week.

Vacation Pictures

2009-06-06T01:25:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures. I'm hoping to do some more blogging next week. Until then enjoy the pictures.

GSM High School Girls Retreat

2009-05-19T19:40:00.000-04:00

Chicag09 Meeting #3

2009-05-19T19:39:00.001-04:00

Tulip Time

2009-05-19T19:36:00.002-04:00

A Year Later...

2009-05-12T20:36:00.003-04:00

Those of you who have read my blog for awhile may remember this post from a year ago about spraining my ankle right before our concert started. I was walking down the stage steps and the step cracked.

It is now a year later. It was the same concert and the same step. I fell...again. They never fixed the step they just turned it around. That created a small whole towards the back of that step. My left foot got caught in it. I went to step down and rolled my right ankle.

After school I headed to the OT clinic and the doctor remembered me from a year ago. After x-rays and some painful tests, he told me I have another horrible sprain and a tiny chip in the ankle bone. Fortunately the chip is really more of a "flake" and in a part of the bone that shouldn't case any problems...just pain.

He was quick to tell me I couldn't do anymore concerts and had to stay away from the stage. Not going to happen. We have another concert on Thursday. All I'm suppose to do is teach. Boo! I'm still going on our retreat and no one can stop me!!!!

Never a dull moment in my life!

Golden Apple Award

2009-05-11T23:04:00.004-04:00

You may recall my previous post about how my dad was awarded the Golden Apple Award. Here is a link to the article and clip from the news. Look at how red is little face is. GO DADDY!!!!

A Morning Peace

2009-05-07T22:17:00.004-04:00

This morning as I was praying and getting ready for work some random things popped into my head. I ignored them and carried on. As I was driving to work I asked God why he placed those people and situations on my mind. As usual, I didn't expect his response...to give you peace.

Well that made no sense to me since I really had no negative feelings or anxiety attached to these things, at least that I'm aware of right now. But God always knows what is best and he felt the need to give me a little more peace in that truth. If I were running my life, who knows how messed up it would be!

I was reminded how amazing it is to be able to serve a God who has my best interest at heart. I know when God leads me down a path it is always for my own good. I never have to doubt that. When I think I want something for my life and He says no or wait, that is the best thing for me.

I love it when I wake up and God blows my mind.

MS Girls Retreat, Part 1

2009-05-06T22:29:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the pictures from our middle school girls retreat last weekend. For some reason I took WAY too many pictures. None of these are edited and some how the settings got changed in the middle of the group pictures. So please don't judge me too harshly. More thoughts on the weekend coming soon. Enjoy!

Little Things

2009-05-06T21:19:00.003-04:00

Little things make or break your day.

Getting messages from my dad's students about how much they appreciated having him as a teacher.
Laughing with my 8th graders.
Celebrating the passing of math finals with friends.
Worshiping with friends.
Thumbs up and high fives from friends as I make the lonely walk across the room to take wheat-free communion.
A quick hug and hello from a good friend a rarely get to talk to.
Laughing with friends after service about how to get the best sound out of a cymbal.

Yup! These things made my day.

Happy Teacher Day!

2009-05-05T23:18:00.005-04:00

Today in National Teacher Appreciation Day, at least that is what the calendar in my classroom says. Typically that means absolutely nothing but not this year. Our family of educators has much to celebrate today.

After fighting the state of Michigan in court, the people of Vestaburg were given the chance to vote on a bond proposal today. This proposal will give the school the funds to improve the facilities for safety and energy efficiency reasons. Part of that proposal is to build a new media center, which is desperately needed. This means my mom will have the capacity to better server her students in a better facility. She has been waiting a long time for this opportunity.

Today was also the day a local TV station announced the winners of the Golden Apple Award my Daddy was nominated for last month. A couple reporters and camera men walked into Dad's classroom today to present him with his award!!!!! TV cameras in Vestaburg all because my Dad is an amazing teacher! There are only three awards given in the state and my Dad has one of them!!!! Mom said she has never seen my dad's so speechless before. He was completely surprised. He even made the evening news! He deserves this more than you can even imagine. I wish I could be just half the educator he is!

I never thought I would say this but Vestaburg was the place to be today. I can't explain to you how much excitement there has been in our family today. Praise God!!! Wish I could have been there to celebrate with my parents.

Congratulations Mom and Dad! Happy Teacher Day!

Walking through Proverbs

2009-04-28T20:56:00.002-04:00

Earlier this semester another GSM leader (Allison) and I decided to start studying Scripture with one of our GSM students (Ditto). We walked through the book of Romans together and recently started the book of Proverbs. I don't know about anybody else but I tend to find Proverbs a difficult book to study. It often just seems way to ADD for me. However, I'm loving our study and tonight's discussion was awesome. We took a look at Proverbs 3 and 4.

We summed up our big take away from chapter 3 and everyone had completely different answer! Each of their perspectives brought more depth to mine. That lead to a great discussion about how where we bring our own experiences to Scripture.

We also spent a lot of time discussing verses 20-27 of chapter 4. There was a great conversation about the "randomness" of verse 24. Check it out.

²⁰ My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
²¹ Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
²² for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.²³ Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.²⁴ Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.
²⁵ Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
²⁶ Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.
²⁷ Don’t get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.

We had a great conversation about verse 24. At first glance it seems pretty random, even to the point some might look over it. But we all came to the conclusion that there is nothing random about it. What do you think?

Five Rough Days

2009-04-28T20:37:00.002-04:00

The last five days have been very long ones. I did nothing but sleep and watch movies. I'm not really the type of person who likes to spend time alone. In fact if I have to go an entire with not talking to another person face-to-face, I feel like I'm going to explode. Imagine five days of that!

But that is what it takes to get over a horrible case of bronchitis. According to my doctor if I would have waited any longer to come in I probably would have had pneumonia. Fantastic! Of course when I went back to work today I got a million questions about whether I had the swine flu or not. I'm not sure it was the best decision to go back but there is a big deadline tomorrow morning and ISTEP started today. I'm so thankful to be feeling a little bit better.

What is this?

2009-04-22T23:49:00.003-04:00

God is up to something. About 20 minutes ago I finished the last of the "Must get done Today" list. Needless to say I started that list around 6:30 this morning. I decided I would quickly check my e-mails, voice-mails and such to make sure there was nothing I was forgetting before I finally head to bed. Somewhere in the midst of that something strange started to happen.

My heart started beating a little faster. There is a uneasy stillness in my chest. For a stillness, it sure rattles a lot. It is a sense of urgency but I'm not sure what for. What is this restlessness I asked myself? Not having any idea I decided to retrace my steps, but my thought process had evidently disappeared. I don't remember what I was thinking. This feeling is stirring in my gut and rushing to my entire being.

What or who can cause such anxious feelings covered with a peace that is hard to understand? For me these feelings can't co-exist, a rattling stillness and an anxious peace. Such polar opposites cannot come together. But that is the very thing which leads me to believe it must be Jesus. Only God can fuse together such things. Past experience tells me when an urgency this great overtakes you, God is up to something great.

I have no words to place with these feelings. I have no meaning for them. Only a source far greater than I can conceive and some dreams to fill with endless possibilities. What could the ultimate Creator be designing next? What shape is he molding?

Only time will tell, as I treasure the beauty of the collision that is happening inside me.

Easily Annoyed

2009-04-14T17:55:00.000-04:00

I am easily annoyed today. Here are a 10 easy ways to easily annoy me. Some of these may or may not have happened in the last 24 hours.

Park directly over the yellow lines instead of between them. (Even worse when multiple cars have done this in a small parking lot.)
Smack your lips at me or look at me like I've ruined your entire life after giving you a writing assignment and detention for not having your instrument multiples days in a row.
Overflow the trash and never take it out.
Blatantly ignore me. Not cool!
Continuously ask me why I'm in my late 20s not married, still live in an apartment or chose an easy career like teaching. Seriously?!
Walk away from me while I'm talking to you.
WHINE!
Leave dirty dishes laying around for several days. Worse yet, don't even rinse them. (Teacher's lounges can be gross!)
Make excessively loud noises at night while others are sleeping.
Be stupid and fail to use common sense on a regular basis.

Wow. I'm annoyed just typing that.

My Little Man

2009-04-12T21:30:00.003-04:00

My sister-in-law, Nicole, took this picture for me today when we were at my grandma's for lunch. When Logan walked into the house he was still dressed up for church, complete with his new tie. He came running to give Cora and me a hug. I leaned over to hug him and whispered in his ear, "Hey there my little man. You are one handsome looking fellow. I love you!" He rolled his eyes and ran off.

I don't know if he was looking at these pictures with his mom tonight or what but this is what he told his mommy. I'm not going to lie; I teared up a little when I read it.

"I love aunt Sarah very much! I am glad your in my family!"

Spring Break 09 - Take 3

2009-04-12T19:37:00.004-04:00

My plans to take over the world while I was on spring break started out very well. Unfortunately those plans hit several bumps later in the week. Guess I'll try again next break, which is SUMMER!!!

As you can tell from my previous posts I had a great time visiting my family. I even got to chat with Anna on the phone this weekend. You won't be surprised to find out I took lots of pictures just for you to enjoy.

It will be in Heaven!!!

2009-04-11T20:22:00.003-04:00

We started making a list of a few things from the Farmer In The Dell we think will be in heaven.

Turtle Sundaes
Flurries
Lemon Shakes
Strawberry/Orange Dole Swirl
Ice cream cones (Lois insisted I add that)
Chocolate covered frozen bananas with nuts
Smoothies

We also agreed that Sonic's strawberry limeades will be in heaven as well. All are simply amazing!

Just for Jeff

2009-04-11T20:12:00.005-04:00

After posting the picture of Cora and I playing the piano my friend, Jeff, demanded I start teaching her the drums. Well we’ve tried that a few times and it didn’t work out so well. She has cried every time. Even thrown a couple sticks and maraca. I was able to get a picture though.

However, it appears her favorite instrument, at least right now, is the organ, but only certain settings. She gets very upset if you change it. Look how intense she is when she plays.

Afternoon Nap

2009-04-11T15:05:00.000-04:00

This is how we spent our Saturday afternoon.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Just for Jon

2009-04-10T23:19:00.008-04:00

When we were younger my brother loved going out back and hitting golf balls into the field. My job was to chase the balls after he ran out. One day while he was practicing his swing he promised to teach me how to golf when I was older. I'm still waiting.

Then someone came up with this great invention called the Wii. I've become a far better Wii bowler than I'll ever be in real life. I was hoping the same would be true in golf. The first time I played those dreams were shattered but I thought I would give it another shot this weekend. Here's what happened.
I'm so nervous about this game. My nephew just shot one over par on the first hole. (Actually my practice swings were so bad, Logan said I need to get a nerf club to help me.)

Please let me hit the ball right. Please let me hit the ball right.

FAIL! I wanted to break that Nerf club. It didn't help me at all. I was 5 over on the first hole. I quit not long after that.

Rumor has it that my friend Jon is going to start a side business of giving wii golf lessons. I also know he is really good. So good I might now be able to afford him. I'm hoping after reading this he'll feel so sorry for me, he'll donate part of his time.

Nap time

2009-04-09T16:20:00.000-04:00

Cora and I are going to take a nap on the couch as we watch a movie. Last night we were looking at old pictures and discovered that Cora looks a lot like me as a baby. We are so cute!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Ice Cream!

2009-04-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

The Farmer In The Dell has opened. I'll be going there at least once a day while I'm home. Today I had a Turtle. AMAZING!! Tomorrow who knows?!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Never Too Early

2009-04-08T22:21:00.000-04:00

It is never to early to teach my girls to play the piano!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Warm Welcome

2009-04-08T22:09:00.000-04:00

My family has called, sent text messages and used facebook to beg me to come home soon for break. When I finally got home Amanda came running out of the house and almost tackled me. Adam greeted me at the door with baby Cora. Emily came running with a hug. Lois was snapping a million pictures and Heather stood and laughed. Sometimes coming home makes me feel so loved.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Settling for Half the Picture

2009-04-08T17:00:00.002-04:00

For the last few months I've been reading and re-reading the book of Hebrews. Every time I read I keep coming back to this idea. So I thought I would blog about it. But before I go on let me make it perfectly clear I am NOT a scholar. In fact I must have zoned out during the seminary lectures on Hebrews because I don't remember any of them!

As I've been reading I've tried to imagine myself both the shoes of the author and the audience. When I think about the recipients of this letter, I can't help but sense this battle of tension they are facing. They've grown up with this wonderful gift from God, the law. They have followed incredible leaders along their journey. It was their life, their every being. It was what they knew.

Now they've met Jesus. He took the law and showed its beauty in its entirety. They now had a bigger picture of God and his kingdom. What Christ did was so different from what they were expecting, some where a little unsure of what to do with Jesus. So they took Jesus and his teachings and tried to put it in the same nice box they had placed the law.

I find myself in that same boat as the audience. God reveals himself to me. I encounter him in new ways. I read his word and am amazed at his greatness. Sometimes it blows me away so much I don't know what to do with. I store it away in a corner of my mind and leave it there because it is so good I don't want to lose it. But instead of making it a part of me it stays in the corner and I settle for only part of the picture. I keep living as though that piece of God's goodness doesn't apply to me.

I read Hebrews and imagine the heart and feelings of the author. The passion this writer has for these people to understand the greatness of Christ and his love is very clear. He longs very deeply for these people to understand the bigger picture. He wants them to understand that Jesus is IT, the whole thing. He is the one who shows them the Father, the Creator, the one who gave them that law that they love.

He wants to them to understand the law is so much more than they imagined because in Christ the law has been fulfilled FOREVER! The box they had tried to live in has burst open and this life that Christ has brought them is more beautiful than anything they could imagine. Christ brought them the rest of the picture.

However, some of them just don't seem to grasp that, much like me. I think about the author of this book and I think about how God might feel when I respond in the same way. How does he feel when I settle for just a smaller part of the law? What am I saying to him when I live my life for the law and strive for nothing less than perfection? How does he feel when my actions say I'll earn my way to us instead of fully accepting the beautiful sacrifice of Christ?

I'm excited to continue to wrestle with this as I continue to dig into Hebrews. And as I move forward this is my prayer.

Beautiful Jesus, your life and sacrifice is the greatest gift I could ever be given. Forgive me for my desires to focus on the smaller picture of you and your kingdom. Help me take those truths I've stored in the corners of my mind and bring them into my everyday life. Help me take off the blinders that block me from seeing the bigger picture of you. You are far greater than I can conceive. I'm so thankful for your patience with me and you constant pursuit of me.

Spring Break 09 - Take 2

2009-04-07T22:07:00.004-04:00

The T-Shrit Gang
Brooke, Allison, Ang, Stephanie, me, Katie & Rachel

Most of you know I have top secret plans to take over the world over spring break. You may have read and seen pictures from the first phase of this plan. Phase 2 is now complete despite a few set backs.

The T-Shirt Gang (I just came up with that name) decided to keep it simple tonight and enjoy an evening at Uptown Kitchen. We got there and they closed at 2 PM!!! Who does that? I mean seriously! So we had to come up with a back up plan and headed to Friday's.

Unfortunately not everyone could be there but it was still a great time. These girls are some of the most encouraging girls I know. They have helped me through some tough times so I decided to make it a very encouraging night for them. Hopefully they had as much fun as I did.

Phase 3 has two parts and it by far the most complicated of the phases. We'll see what happens.

Slow down

2009-04-07T15:12:00.005-04:00

At the beginning of the school year I set a goal to create some space in my schedule for rest. That hasn't happened much this semester. In fact I had been running so fast and doing so much I couldn't hear myself think.

Last summer a friend of mine pulled me aside and asked how I was REALLY doing? I was so caught off guard I didn't know how to respond. This friend was patient enough to give me some space to answer but the truth was I had no clue. I had been running forward so hard for so long I had never taken the time to think about it. My friend knew this and quickly reminded me how important slowing down to rest is. They were painful words to hear at the time but words that hold truth and love.

A few weeks ago I talked with this friend again and was asked the same question. I stumbled over my words to come up with a quick answer and change the subject as quickly as possible. As I drove home after that conversation I realized how distracted I had become by life. The words of last summer's conversation replayed over and over in my head. Here I was again flying through life without taking time to breathe.

So I started this year's spring break with nothing on my schedule. Since Friday afternoon I haven't done much. I've met a few friends. Spent lots of time just chatting with Jesus and reading. It has been glorious. I'm so glad I started break this way.

I read this today, which is what inspired this post, and thought I would share it.

How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
And so I walk in the Lord’s presence
as I live here on earth!
Psalm 116:5-9

Family of Educators

2009-04-06T11:11:00.005-04:00

I come from a family of genius educators, which most days makes me feel inadequate as an educator. My parents are teachers. I have aunts and uncles who teach at the college level. Several of my cousins have gone into education. They are all very good too.

Uncle Ron is one of those. He is a professor of psychology at York University. He was recently featured in an online magazine for his use of technology in his courses. For those of you outside the education world, making use of technology in teaching is a HUGE deal. You can read the article here.

Recently my dad was nominated by his student council to receive a Golden Apple Award. My understanding is there are only three handed out in the state. Here is what one of his students wrote about him.

Larry Koutz - Math Teacher
Vestaburg High School
Mr. Koutz is a very hard worker. He knows how to get through to any student. He is a no-nonsense teacher and truly cares about the education of our youth. He has been a teacher at Vestaburg High School for 37 yrs. He is the student council adviser, quiz bowl coach, and he keeps score for every boys and girls basketball game, boys football game, and girls volleyball game including both middle school and high school games. He also teaches many college and dual enrollment mathematics courses and many times does so without the benefit of a prepatory period. In addition, he is a very active member of the community and participates in many community activities. He is truly an amazing teacher and person and is greatly respected by the entire community.

He was my favorite teacher of all time. He'll do whatever he can to help students understand the material. Even answering math questions over the phone late at night! Voting is currently taking place and the winners of this reward will be announced in May. You can read more about the award or vote for him here.

I'm proud of my daddy and Uncle Ron. I've learned a lot from both of them. Hopefully it helps me become a better teacher.

Spring Break 09 - Take 1

2009-04-05T23:48:00.003-04:00

Spring break is here!!!! Glory! Hallelujah! Praise Jesus! I don't think I've ever been more ready for a break than I was this year. I kicked off break by spending Friday night at home watching movies. This was mostly because I was just too tired to do anything else. Saturday after church I went to dinner and hung out with some student ministry friends at the Curry Casa.

It has been a great to relax and not do much of anything but I've been waiting for tonight for several weeks. The GLCC Concert Choir had their home concert tonight and my friend Kari happens to be a part of the group. So a few weeks ago I put all the final details together and arranged a surprise visit to see Kari sing. It was a great concert and I'm so glad I made the trip to Lansing.

I'm so proud of Kari. She is doing amazing things for the Kingdom. I've loved watching God stretch her and show her His plan for her life. I love that she gives all of her gifts back to God, whether it's volleyball, singing or just being an amazing friend. God is using her in big ways and I'm glad I got to be a part of it tonight.

Enjoy the first set of photos from Spring Break 09!

I thought it was funny...

2009-04-01T21:39:00.003-04:00

I got a Facebook message from a friend asking for my mailing address. I responded concluding the message with this:

Please don't send me any hate mail, exploding packages or wheat. Thank you.

Sincerely,
skoutz

I thought it was funny. Fortunately, so did my friend. She thought it was laugh out loud funny. Finally the one time I'm trying to be funny it worked. It will probably never happen again.

Yea there really was no point to this post.

Scatterbrained

2009-04-01T21:15:00.003-04:00

- First Wednesday was incredible tonight. You can't sit and reflect on Christ and his life for over an hour and not be stirred.
- Random worlds colliding this week. Interested to see what God does with that.
- Some days I just look at my girls at school and tell them boys can be dumb. It is easier than having to deal with the drama. Does this make me a bad person?
- 2 days and 1 concert left until Spring Break. Guess I should make some plans.
- "Sarah they have special Jesus bread for you!"
- Really do you have to turn the tv up that loud. And why must the neighbors ALWAYS slam their door and stomp from room to room? You know you are loud when the deaf girl things you are!
- I think I'm going to be keeping my dart gun handy the rest of the week. My car is strategically parked right by my bedroom window.
- I get to see my baby Cora next week and meet my brother's foster boys.
- I'm having a spring break party.
- Chicag09 and camp is getting closer and closer! Yippee!!!!
- My apartment is trashed again. Having concerts two weeks in a row is not good for the housekeeping.
- This may be the most boring scatterbrained post I've done. Life is boring these days I guess.

Manic Monday Madness

2009-03-31T22:07:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I had a bad cause of the Monday blues so I decided to go to bed at 9 PM. Who does that? I'll tell you who doesn't. People who like to break into cars! That's who doesn't go to bed at 9 PM.

About 15 seconds after I walk in my bedroom and turn the light on, my car alarm starts going off. I turn off the light look out the window and sure enough there are two guys out there and my trunk is open. One has already started to run away. The other still shocked that the alarm went off. (Even I didn't know that would happen!) So I grab my keys and cell phone, slip on my shoes and run outside. I was about to let them have it.

Of course they were long gone by the time I got out there. There was no damage to the car and nothing was missing. The most valuable thing in my car is my old softball mitt and I need a new one anyway. All was well so I locked it up and went back inside.

I called my parents to tell them the story and my mom was none to pleased with me. She gave me a good lecture about how dangerous it was to run outside. I told her next time I'll take my dart gun with me. She still wasn't impressed but I wasn't even scared. Shoot! Try to mess with my car when I bust out my teacher voice and dart gun. They will run away in tears if they come in contact with that combo!

Wedding Bells

2009-03-28T22:00:00.002-04:00

Tonight my friend Lindsay got married!!!! It was a beautiful wedding and a perfect reflection of both Lindsay and Aaron's personalities. Here are some picture from the festivities.